Teachers' talk of experiencing: Conflict, resistance and agency

Conflicts and resistance can also be a trigger leading to change and professional development.

“On the other hand, conflicts and resistance can also be a trigger leading to change and professional development (Kindered 1999; Sannino 2010).”

Resistance manifests early forms of agency.

“According to Sannino (2010, 839), ' resistance manifests early forms of agency ' .”

The discursive manifestation of these conflicts or inner tensions can appear as critical conflicts or double-binds.

“The discursive manifestation of these conflicts or inner tensions can appear as critical conflicts or double-binds (Engeström and Sannino 2011; Sannino 2010).”

Personal crises are often intertwined with contradictions in collective activities and take place between personal and collective voices in the dialogical self.

“Therefore, personal crises are often intertwined with contradictions in collective activities (Sannino 2010) and take place between personal and collective voices in the dialogical self (Arvaja 2015, 2016; Hermans 2003).”

Although critical conflicts refer to experienced inner conflicts of an individual, their roots are often in contradictions that stem from the culture, institutions and organisations to which the individual is attached.

“Although critical conflicts refer to experienced inner conflicts of an individual, their roots are often in contradictions that stem from the culture, institutions and organisations to which the individual is attached (Engeström and Sannino 2011; Sannino 2010).”

Through critical conflicts and tensions, the process of experiencing opens possibilities to face, become aware of and work out contradictions.

“Through critical conflicts and tensions, the process of experiencing opens possibilities to face, become aware of and work out contradictions.”

Critical conflicts create tensions, discomfort and confusion, but can also be seen in a positive light; as a prerequisite for transformation and emancipation.

“However, even though critical conflicts create tensions, discomfort and confusion, they can also be seen in a positive light; as a prerequisite for transformation and emancipation.”

The situation also manifests itself as a critical conflict in Anna's professional position.

“The situation also manifests itself as a critical con fl ict (Sannino 2010) in Anna ' s professional position.”

Inner tensions and contradictions likely to arise from this identity work can be manifested in discursive processes of experiencing, through which individuals can become aware, make sense of, and resolve these contradictions.

“Inner tensions and contradictions likely to arise from this identity work can be manifested in discursive processes of experiencing, through which individuals can become aware, make sense of, and resolve these contradictions (Sannino 2010).”

Anna externalises her inner conflicts and internalises a meaningful second stimulus (the pedagogical studies), which provide a context for identifying a conflict between different value and activity systems.

“In the above example, Anna is externalising her inner con fl icts and internalising a meaningful second stimulus (i.e. pedagogical studies), which provide a context for identifying a con fl ict between different value and activity systems (Sannino 2010).”

There is a critical conflict between two diverging motives relative to Anna's work.

“There is a critical conflict (Sannino 2010) between two diverging motives relative to her work.”

Tensions and contradictions, and their discursive manifestations, such as critical conflicts and double binds, can be seen as a means of arousing (and tracing) changes in one's identity and I-positioning.

“Tensions and contradictions, and their discursive manifestations, such as critical conflicts and double binds (Engeström and Sannino 2011; Sannino 2010), can be seen as a means of arousing (and tracing) changes in one ' s identity and I-positioning.”

Anna feels that the university system is not aligned with her (teaching) values.

“Also, more generally, she feels that the university system is not aligned with her (teaching) values (Korhonen and Törmä 2016; Sannino 2010).”

The pedagogical studies with related ideas, values and ideologies offer Anna a 'second stimulus' that provides a new frame of reference to assess and critically reflect on her experiences and current professional position.

“The pedagogical studies with related ideas, values and ideologies offer Anna a ' second stimulus ' (Sannino 2010) that provides a new frame of reference to assess and critically reflect on her experiences and current professional position.”

Anna's emotionally and morally charged personal distress is manifested in conflicting motives.

“Her emotionally and morally charged personal distress is manifested in confl icting motives (Engeström and Sannino 2011; Sannino 2010).”

Anna is experiencing a personal crisis involving conflicting motives intertwined with contradictions in her collective activities.

“As the example demonstrates, Anna is experiencing a personal crisis involving conflicting motives intertwined with contradictions in her collective activities (Sannino 2010).”

These tensions manifested as critical conflicts in Anna's discourse.

“These tensions manifested as critical conflicts in Anna ' s discourse (Sannino 2010).”

In externalising the conflicts between her voice and the voice of the university, Anna adopted the stance of resistance.

“In externalising the conflicts between her voice and the voice of the university, Anna adopted the stance of resistance (Sannino 2010).”

In this process of experiencing, Anna could externalise her inner conflicts and internalise a meaningful second stimulus-the voice of the pedagogical studies-a voice that was in accordance with her own values and ways of seeing, thinking and doing in the world.

“In this process of experiencing, Anna could externalise her inner conflicts and internalise a meaningful second stimulus (Sannino 2010) -the voice of the pedagogical studies -a voice that was in accordance with her own values and ways of seeing, thinking and doing in the world (Gee 2011).”

Through reflective identity work and the process of experiencing, Anna externalised, and became aware of, conflicting motives underlying her activities, noticing that the contradictions affected her well-being at work.

“Through reflective identity work (Cohen 2010) and the process of experiencing (Sannino 2010), Anna externalised, and became aware of, conflicting motives underlying her activities, noticing that the contradictions affected her well-being at work.”

The inner conflicts and their resolution led into a more coherent and integrated dialogical self, which was also projected in her plans.

“As a result, the inner conflicts and their resolution (i.e. the process of experiencing, Sannino [2010]) led into a more coherent and integrated dialogical self (Hermans 2003), which was also projected in her plans (Lee and Schallert 2016).”

Core reflection and the process of experiencing help academics consciously direct their development in coherence with their personal self.

“Hence, core reflection (Korthagen 2004) and the process of experiencing (Sannino 2010) help academics consciously direct their development in coherence with their personal self (Arvaja 2016; Korthagen 2004).”